Industrial and commercial settings often have machinery with lids and/or coverings. Many of these machines do not comprise safety mechanisms to prevent access to moving parts. At times, these machines utilize sensors to determine if the lid is open or closed. These sensors may be used to start a machine or stop a machine. For instance, in response to the opening of the lid while the machine is working, the machine may begin to slow down and eventually stop. However, if the lid is open while moving parts are still in motion, access to moving elements may not be prevented as envisioned.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 7,028,415 to Heinzen et al. (herein Heinzen) discloses a canted spin dryer which uses a proximity switch to determine a position of the lid of the machine (e.g. open or closed). This Heinzen spin dryer then starts a drying cycle in response to sensing the lid has been closed. Thus, Heinzen system like other conventional dryers may be opened during the drying activity. It would be advantageous to have a system enabling the locking of the cover during fully operational states.
Also, over time, if moisture is trapped within these devices, a musty or stagnant condition may result. It is desirable to have an opening and/or closure device that is configured to minimize the likelihood of a stagnant condition occurring, such as by maintaining the system while not in operation in an open position.
Relying on mechanical moving parts to provide the force to open and close lids may also introduce failure points, leading to downtime and repair costs. Also, these mechanical moving parts to provide the force to open and close lids may require upkeep and regular maintenance. The system of Heinzen, utilizes a spring assembly that automatically lifts the lid when the lid has been manually opened beyond a selected angle between 30 and 60 degrees from a plane in which the cover lies closed. Thus, not only is the default position of the Heinzen lid closed, the system of Heinzen requires a combination of manual and mechanical intervention in order to open the lid.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.